Chapter Forty-One: Arrogance

“Brother Yu, please quickly send a ghost attendant to escort me to the Gate of Ghosts, otherwise, if my mortal body continues to deteriorate, it will be difficult to find a suitable vessel.”

Lin Lan’s form floated, feet never touching the ground, unmistakably that of a ghost. Yet his three souls and six spirits were all gathered, his appearance no different from when he was among the living. The only peculiarity was the fatal knife wound in his chest, piercing clean through his heart.

“Hm?”
“Hm?!”
“Hm!!”
“Ah?!”

Duan Lingqi, Xi Chunxue, and Qu Hanchen turned in astonishment, gazing at Lin Lan who entered as naturally as if stepping into his own courthouse. Lin Lan, equally bewildered, looked at the three beneath the spectral hall.

Why did these three seem so familiar?

“Who are you, barging into the court without permission? Throw him out!” The ghost judge seated above was about to order the ghost soldiers to drive Lin Lan away, when the green-robed ghost clerk suddenly approached him.

“Sir, he’s a disciple of the Celestial Origin Temple,” whispered the clerk in the judge’s ear.

“So what if he’s a disciple? He’s trespassing in the ghost court—does he think the laws of the Underworld don’t apply to him?” The judge glared and questioned sharply.

The clerk harbored a faint suspicion; the judge usually addressed those from Celestial Origin Temple as brothers, so why this sudden change of manner? Even if the judge wished to sever ties, a further reminder was due.

If he failed to hold his post as judge of Northern Shadow City, the clerk’s own days would surely be numbered.

“The Celestial Origin Temple venerates the Northern Emperor, who now resides in the north of the Underworld, in the Gui region, atop Mount Luo Feng, two thousand six hundred li high and thirty thousand li in circumference,” the clerk murmured.

“Is Mount Luo Feng far from here?” asked the judge.
“It is exceedingly distant,” replied the clerk.
“Then what’s the hurry?”

The judge waved his hand, preparing once more to have Lin Lan expelled.

“You may have forgotten that the Northern Emperor presides over the Underworld, holding the highest seat among its divine spirits. All souls from the living world fall under his jurisdiction. Thus, even if he’s thousands of miles away, the fate of your soul rests in but a single thought of his.”

Seeing the judge’s obstinacy, the clerk raised his voice, laced with a subtle threat.

“Brother Yu, perhaps I’ve come at an inopportune time today, disturbing your official business in the Underworld?” Lin Lan squinted slightly, a warm smile curling at his lips as he clasped his hands in greeting toward the judge above.

He was no fool like Duan Lingqi; upon seeing the three below, several suspicions had stirred in his heart. Especially since the judge, who had always called him brother, now wanted to throw him out.

Could these three have spoken ill of him to the judge?

One was a Class B prison guard, a type he rarely encountered and unlikely to know deep secrets of the Bi Zhen Prison. Another was a wicked water dragon, locked away for three centuries; Lin Lan neither liked nor disliked such creatures and had little contact with them. The third was a female prisoner, recently confined, whom a minor clerk had said was a cultivator and ordered to be bound with spirit chains.

None should know his secrets, so what could they have said to turn the judge against him?

“Brother Yu, don’t heed the clerk’s alarmist words. The Northern Emperor is a revered Taoist deity; only through special rituals and incantations might he cast his gaze here.” As Lin Lan spoke, he walked to the desk, meeting the judge’s gaze.

“The Northern Emperor, also called the Lord of Fengdu, was born on the ninth day of the ninth month, revered by all ghosts. Celestial Origin Temple stands atop Pingdu Mountain, one of the seventy-two blessed Taoist sites, practicing arts of spirit communion, soul pursuit, ghost capture, and dream weaving.”

Xi Chunxue, eyes downcast, appeared to speak absentmindedly as she reminded the judge.

“If you know the origins of Celestial Origin Temple, you must also be a fellow cultivator. Why fall to the state of a prisoner, or worse, a wandering ghost?” Lin Lan turned, squinting and smiling at Xi Chunxue who had exposed his background.

“Even if you summon a bit of the Northern Emperor’s magic to peer into the Underworld, if you linger here chatting much longer, you may truly become a rootless ghost.” Xi Chunxue raised her head, gazing at Lin Lan’s gaping chest wound, a hint of charm in her smile.

“When I return, I’ll find your bodies and burn them together,” Lin Lan leaned forward, whispering to Xi Chunxue. Though his smile remained, anyone hearing these words would feel a chill.

“Brother Yu, you seem busy today, so I won’t trouble you further. Please have a ghost attendant issue a pass to send me through the Gate of Ghosts. Once I return to the living, I’ll urge someone to build you a temple and offer incense.” Lin Lan turned, laughing toward the judge.

The judge watched Lin Lan’s laughter in silence.

Gradually, Lin Lan’s smile faded, his squinted eyes opening slightly.

“He’s Lin Lan, Deputy Warden Lin, isn’t he?” Xi Chunxue suddenly glanced at Qu Hanchen and asked.

Qu Hanchen looked oddly at Xi Chunxue; when escorting her to the dungeon, he had encountered Deputy Warden Lin and even exchanged greetings.

But before Qu Hanchen could answer, Xi Chunxue had already shifted her gaze back to the judge.

“I wonder what sort of pass Lin Lan seeks?” The judge stroked his beard, smiling at Lin Lan.

“I’m not certain myself; when I drank with you after descending to the Underworld in the past, you’d always use this pass to open the Gate of Ghosts and send me back,” Lin Lan replied, his eyes squinting again as the judge’s stern face relaxed into a smile.

Yet as the delay dragged on, Lin Lan’s black robe became covered in yellow earth, his complexion paled, his soul grew more solid, and his feet finally touched the ground.

“Not good! They must think I’m dead and buried me in the Stone Bamboo Tomb!” Lin Lan exclaimed in alarm.

“What happened in the prison?” Qu Hanchen could not restrain his confusion.

“The guards rebelled, and the demon prisoners rioted,” Lin Lan answered coldly.

“Why not all return together? Your affairs can wait, but if our bodies are affected, we may never return.” Xi Chunxue looked at the judge.

The judge slowly closed his eyes.

Lin Lan found Xi Chunxue’s tone puzzling—was this female prisoner negotiating with Brother Yu? Could she also have ties to the judge?